Here is a Web-based version of my ICERI10 conference presentation on the topic:
Social Networking Innovation in an Online E-Business Course
http://www.programhouse.com/webpres/phiceri2010pres1.htm
This Web-based PowerPoint presentation (optimized for the Internet Explorer browser) describes a curriculum innovation that provides an authentic and collaborative learning experience to support learning of emergent social networking and social media skills (for digital marketing) in an online e-business course.
Presented at the ICERI 2010 (International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation) in Madrid (Spain), November 15-17, 2010.
Insights, experiences, and other comments welcome in reply,
Doc
My son has an online web business that sells I-phone products, repairs, accessories, and a host of other China made products. He advised me that he has driven much more traffic to his site (and sales) via social networking sites than any other form of advertizing (business cards, flyers, e-mails, papers, eBay, etc.). He also advised that bang for buck, social networking was the least costly and most productive from a personal and professional aspect (killing two birds with one stone concept). Understandable that this would not work for say industrial boiler sales, but large consumption, broad market penetration items like fashion, electronics, travel seems to fit very well. In today’s market, any advantage is critical to generating sales!
Thanks Charles, for sharing those insights, not only about how certain products or services may be marketed more successfully than others, but also that the advice came from your son which to me suggests a generational component to adoption and use of these new online services. Above all, the message is clear that social networking and social media can not only be used for the social reasons for which they were conceived, but also for marketing and promotion within that social context.
Many of the emerging technologies in the education realm were created to enhance the pedagogical experience for the students and the instructors. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), along with a synchronous learning platform like Adobe Captivate could be structured to satisfy all higher education pedagogical curiosities. Furthermore, these curiosities are driving the movement of emerging educational technology usage at a number of colleges and universities. Consequently, campuses around the world are providing support for instructors as they design and implement technologically based learning environments. These environments are constructed in a way to enable exploration by students while equipping them with the necessary skills to work through challenges after they graduate and reach the work force.
Thanks Dwight for sharing your valued insights on the use of MOOCs as an alternative or extension to the learning support provided by online learning management systems. The other benefit to their use is to create a wider learning community and interaction and more opportunities for learner generated content than might be available in traditional LMS implementations. Thanks for sharing, Doc
Doc – Thanks for laying out this information like this. It was really helpful in getting to know and understand the benefits of utilizing different social networking platforms. It was a well designed research study with strong theoretical foundations. It was also nice that the presentation worked as a crash course for different social networking sites.
Thanks Mackenzie for your valued feedback on this application of social media in an online business course. An emerging issue for subsequent research in the use of online social media as well as any software platform used for online and onsite education is the applicability of a given software solution for its intended audience in terms of the privacy and security risks that its use may pose, especially for users such as children.